Providing a secure base for LGBTQ young people in foster care: The role of foster carers

The experiences and needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) young people in care have been overlooked in England, in both policy and research. This paper reports on findings from the first study of LGBTQ young people in care in England and focuses on the nature of foster carers' experiences and perspectives on caring for LGBTQ young people. Qualitative interviews regarding the fostering role in caring for LGBTQ young people were conducted with a sample of foster carers (n = 26) and analysed thematically. Foster carers described the importance of offering LGBTQ young people not only the nurturing relationships that all children in care need but also availability, sensitivity and acceptance to help young people manage stigma and other challenges associated with minority sexual orientation and gender identity. The Secure Base caregiving model provided a framework for analysing the different dimensions of these relationships. Understanding caregiving roles and relationships for LGBTQ young people in care has important implications for recruiting, training, matching and supporting foster carers to care for LGBTQ young people effectively.     

Parents and Educators: Dialogue and Development Through Partnership

SUMMARY. This paper describes an approach to working with parents which emphasises the parents' own learning process and which might be termed ‘developmental partnership’. By this is meant a relationship in which not only are the parents explicitly acknowledged as the primary educators of their own children but also that, through a process of mutual enquiry into the activities and development of these children, parents, educator and children learn and work together. A number of issues are raised about working in ‘developmental partnership’ with parents, including the role of the unconscious in relationships focused upon learning.     

Past and new victimization among African American female drug users who participated in an HIV risk-reduction intervention

This study examined to what extent a women- and culturally-specific sexual risk reduction intervention resulted in a decline of new victimization intervention. Additionally, we sought to identify factors associated with new victimization, defined as victimization during the 6 months after enrollment in the study. Female African American drug users (N = 333, ages 18-59 years) completed questionnaires. Past victimization was a major predictor of new victimization. The likelihood of new victimization, however, declined significantly when compared to past victimization. Factors associated with victimization included enhanced intervention assignment, frequency of drug use, lifestyle factors such as criminal behavior, drug use in a public setting, and living in an unstable situation. Results indicate the need to incorporate strategies to reduce victimization in HIV/AIDS and other health-related prevention and intervention programs.     

Past and new victimization among African American female drug users who participated in an HIV risk‐reduction intervention

This study examined to what extent a culturally and women‐specific sexual risk reduction intervention resulted in a decline of new victimization. Additionally, we sought to identify factors associated with new victimization, defined as victimization during the 6 months after enrollment in the study. Female African American drug users (N = 333, ages 18–59 years) completed questionnaires. Past victimization was a major predictor of new victimization. The likelihood of new victimization, however, declined significantly when compared to past victimization. Factors associated with victimization included enhanced intervention assignment, frequency of drug use, and lifestyle factors such as criminal behavior, drug use in a public setting, and living in an unstable situation. Results indicate the need to incorporate strategies to reduce victimization in HIV/AIDS and other health‐related prevention and intervention programs.     

The preoccupation with thresholds in cases of child death or serious injury through abuse and neglect

Thresholds into and between services emerged as a significant theme in the biennial analysis of cases of child death and serious injury through abuse and neglect ‘serious case reviews’ carried out in England for the (then) Department for Education and Skills between 2003–05. The preoccupation with thresholds was one of a number of interacting risk factors and many children's cases were on the boundary of services and levels of intervention. In most cases child protection did not come ‘labelled as such’ which reinforces the need for all practitioners, including those working with adults to be alert to the risks of significant harm. Policy makers should acknowledge that staff working in early intervention are working within the safeguarding continuum and not in a separate sphere of activity. The emotional impact of working with hostility from violent parents and working with resistance from older adolescents impeded engagement, judgement and safeguarding action. In the long term neglect cases that were reviewed, the threshold for formal child protection services was rarely met and some agencies and practitioners coped with feelings of helplessness by adopting the ‘start again syndrome’. Adequate resources are essential but not sufficient to redress the problems. Effective and accessible supervision is crucial to help staff to put into practice the critical thinking required to understand cases holistically, complete analytical assessments, and weigh up interacting risk and protective factors. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

School breakfast clubs,children and family support†

School breakfast clubs are a form of before school provision serving breakfast to children who arrive early. This paper explores their potential to provide support for families at risk of social exclusion. A national evaluation of a Department of Health pilot initiative suggests that their provision can afford valued support to families coping with varying degrees of difficulty in their material, environmental, relational and social circumstances. Many parents regarded clubs as successful in encouraging children to eat breakfast, reducing pressures in the morning and providing an additional source of affordable, trusted child care to those in work, studying or seeking employment. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A cross-national comparison of public project benefits management practices – the effectiveness of benefits management frameworks in application

Abstract

Benefits are the principal reason why an organization may seek to enact change through programmes and projects. The discipline of identification, definition, planning, tracking and realization of benefits is recognized to be instrumental in achieving organizational strategy. In this study, we describe the results of a cross-national comparison of public sector benefits management (BM) practices in Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. It explores ‘BM practices in action’, considering to what extent ‘espoused’ or ‘mandated’ frameworks are actually practised and perceived by their users. Employing qualitative analysis, semi-structured interview data were analysed from 46 participants with experience in sponsoring, managing and/or reviewing government projects. The results expose considerable variation in the adoption and standardization of BM frameworks from inter and intragovernmental perspectives. We evidence a strong focus on benefits identification across the data set, specifically at the outset (the business case stage seeking project approval) and observe deterioration in focus as the project or programme progresses through the authorization (or assurance) approval gates towards close-out and operations. The results further emphasize the prominence of political interest, leadership buy-in, a benefits-driven culture and a transparent benefits reporting mechanism in the implementation of ‘effective’ BM frameworks.     

Design catalogue for eco-engineering of coastal artificial structures: a multifunctional approach for stakeholders and end-users

Urban Ecosystems - Coastal urbanisation, energy extraction, food production, shipping and transportation have led to the global proliferation of artificial structures within the coastal and marine...     

Predictors of sexual risk-taking among new drug users

We studied predictors of HIV-related sexual risk-taking among individuals who initiated the use of heroin or methamphetamine during the past 5 years. Many studies have linked drug use to HIV risk and most research has been based on samples of users with long-established drug careers. We conducted face-to-face interviews with 153 adult new drug users in Atlanta, GA. Drug use was not a statistically significant predictor of sexual risk, but gender, age, race, homelessness status, childhood neglect, level of paranoia, and level of (dys)functionality in handling disagreements were associated with the frequency of sexual risk-taking. We discuss the need to incorporate new drug users in HIV/AIDS and other health-related prevention and intervention programs.